The University of Memphis has announced plans to build a new stadium for its soccer and track-and-field teams. Liza Wellford Fletcher Stadium will be named in honor of the St. Mary’s Episcopal School teacher who was abducted and murdered while on an early-morning run in September 2022. A 2006 graduate of Hutchison School, Fletcher played soccer for two seasons at the U of M and was a member of the 2007 team that won the first of 14 conference championships for the program under coach Brooks Monaghan.
“Our student-athletes deserve a place that reflects their accomplishments,” said U of M athletic director Ed Scott during a press conference Tuesday on the South Campus, where the new stadium will rise. “The importance [of this stadium] goes way beyond the bricks and mortar. It will honor the legacy of Liza Fletcher. I didn’t get the chance to meet Liza, but I’ve heard wonderful things about her. As a girl dad, there’s a special place in my heart when we can honor a young woman.”
The first phase of the stadium project will include the construction of a grandstand, press box, and locker rooms at an estimated cost of $7 million. Having played for many years at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex and more recently on the South Campus (with temporary bleachers), Tiger soccer will gain its first on-campus facility, a “home” as Monaghan emphasized during his remarks.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with some remarkable young ladies,” said Monaghan, “and Liza was undoubtedly one of them. Liza was not the most gifted soccer player, but her dedication, her spirit, her work rate, and her smile were unmatched. She was a leader, a friend, and a true beacon of light for anyone who knew her. I can’t help but feel this is the perfect way to honor her legacy.”
A construction timeline was not announced but when asked about goals for completion of the new stadium Monaghan emphasized, “as soon as possible.”
For more information on the stadium project, visit lizaslight.org.
